After I came home from work, I took the 3 kiddos out in the back yard to play. Each child had a ball and I was doing my best to keep 3 different balls going simultaneously. That’s no small feat, let me tell you.

Eliana just wasn’t happy with the setup and spent more time whining than playing. When Karys needed a potty break after about 30 minutes, that was my chance to get us all back in the house.

I felt like Eliana needed some one-on-one time so when Karys settled in front of the television to watch The Wiggles and Zane migrated to the bedroom to play computer games, Eliana and I snuck out the front door for a long walk.

As soon as our feet hit the asphalt, she reached up to hold my hand. The only time she let go was when she occassionally bent down to pick a wild flower from someone’s yard.

I thought that she needed this time together but it was actually good medicine for me.

Zane created this page on a computer at school last week but we saw it today for the first time.

I guess we’re doing something right.

We got out of bed a little earlier than usual for a Saturday to make a road trip to Carowinds. Carmi bought our season passes on Wednesday but we still needed to go to the park to pick up our plastic pass cards.

Even though rain was in the forecast, we went early enough in hopes that we could get our cards and take in a few rides on opening day before the showers started. Well, the best laid plans…

The rain started just as we arrived but it wasn’t enough to dampen anyone’s spirits. Until later, that is.

Zane enjoyed his Nighthawk coaster ride with mommy although not enough to do it again.

Eliana was pouting because she had ridden this ride several times last year. She wanted to try something new since she has grown enough to meet minimum height restrictions for several more rides.

Zane was content to watch Carmi and Eliana.

Karys was not content. She wanted to ride everything that the others were riding.

The rain got the best of us and we finally gave up. Carmi and Eliana’s shoes were soaking wet. Zane and Karys were pretty damp too.

We look forward to our first sunny day.

Carmi ordered Zane an NIV Bible in English and Chinese which arrived today. She also ordered the Chronicles of Narnia series in Chinese and Zane has started gobbling it up.

We put Eliana under the ruler again this morning. She has grown 1-1/4 inches since January 1st and now stands approximately 47-3/4 inches tall.

She’s thrilled. With shoes on, she can now ride all but 5 rides at Carowinds which has a minimum height restriction of 48 inches.

Carmi purchased our season passes yesterday and, if the rain holds up, we may try to go on Saturday which is opening day.

I better find me a barf bag. It’s been far too long since I’ve ridden those coasters.

A carpenter in a Chinese village, perhaps unwilling to spend what would amount to a month’s pay on a bicycle, has created a 100% wooden one to ride around town instead.

55-year-old Peijia Wu, from Shandong province, allegedly took three months to build his do-it-yourself wooden bike.

The bike features no metal parts whatsoever - joints are fixed with small wooden bungs and a rod-crank system has replaced where the chain would normally be.

Ingenious! Just watch out for splinters in your bum.

[source]